Indian River School Board to consider releasing Pointe West as school site

INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — Now that the School Board has voted to move Osceola Magnet to the former Thompson Elementary, Pointe West president Chuck Mechling has a vacant site with limited use.

Mechling made an agreement with the district to give the site to the Indian River County School District to be used as a school. The agreement mandates construction begin by 2014. But with the board's decision Tuesday, there is little likelihood that will happen. Board members now are considering releasing Mechling from the agreement.

The board voted 4 to 1 to move Osceola to Thompson, in the south part of the county off Oslo Road, in the fall. Board members also indicated that building a new $20 million school in these economic times is not fiscally responsible, and a new school most likely will not be built within the next two years.

Up until a few months ago, a new Osceola Magnet was slated to be built on the Pointe West site. Board Vice Chairman Carol Johnson, who cast the dissenting vote, said at the end of Tuesday's meeting she wants a new proposal to release Pointe West from its obligation, out of fairness to the development, located west of the Indian River Mall, off State Road 60.

"There is no way we are going to build (a school) in that short of time," Johnson said. "We need to be honorable and, since we are not going to use it, not hold on to it."

Mechling agrees.

"Please let me move on with my life," Mechling said. "I have waited too long for something that we know is not going to happen."

At an August district workshop, Mechling told the board he spent about $1.3 million on improvements to the site to make it ready for the school district, according to minutes of the meeting. For about 10 years, the development has maintained the site, waiting for the district to build a new school.

Board member Matt McCain said the board should take action to release the property.

"There is really no other choice. We can't use it for anything else," McCain said.